Tales of the empire fails to surpass the Tales of the Jedi but nevertheless enrichens this already loaded franchise with a few new gems.
The first three episodes focus on Morgan Elsbeths journey, starting with the purge on Dathoomir. The nightsisters get eliminated by General Grievous, Morgan Elsbeth is one of the few survivors. This event is known from the clone wars and it was great to revisit it.
Morgan Elsbeth, thrived by revenge, brings destruction to the mountain clan, that was so kind to give her shelter.
We next see her presenting the plans for the TIE-Defender systems to imperial officers. Admiral Yularen is interested and connects her with Admiral Thrawn. So this is how they met.
In the third part we see her after the fall of the empire, slaughtering an ambassador of the New Republic, who wanted to bring peace to her planet Corvis. This episode should play right before the events of The Mandalorian season 2, in which Ahsoka and The Mandalorian arrive on the planet.
All in all an very entertaining arc, that finally gives her some character. However the ultimate banger it was not.
Moving on to the second story arc featuring Barris Offee during Order 66. She is currently imprisoned as she was sentenced to after her betrayal on the Jedi Order in The Clone Wars.
However the empire offers her to become an inquisitor which she kindly accepts. The grand inquisitor tests her personally and she proves herself worthy by killing her old jedi-colleague contender. She now is an inquisitor and the dark lord himself arrives at the Fortress Inquisitorious to oversee his new tools.
After that we see her on her first mission which is to hunt down a jedi with her sister. Barriss uses her jedi-training to get the information from a child so nobody has to be hatmed. But her inquisitor sister has another plan and so she kills all of the villagers to make an example.
This is when Barriss realises her fault to join the empire and so she turns on her sister to protect the jedi.
The third episode shows Barriss after some years have gone by. She is now a healer and helps people in need. Just like a jedi. One day her sister finds her on the hunt for a force sensitive child. Barriss makes sure the child and his family escape and trap her sister in an ice cave. The sister is furious and in her anger she kills Barriss. This is when she realises that her path only causes sorrow and destruction.
In my opinion this story arc is the better one of the both. However it is still not flawless, especially the third episode ends a bit abrupt. I guess Barriss is dead, which makes sense, because we do not see her in any show or movie after these events. Still I am glad they finished her story which was open since The Clone Wars season five.
As a versict to this 6-part mini-series I would say that it does its job. Tales of the empire is a satisfying addition to the Star Wars universe. The animation looks great, the soundtrack by Kevin Kiner is superb as always and the stories help the viewer understand certain character developments that happened in other shows before.
Please give us more of this, maybe in for of a Tales of the Sith or Tales of the Rebellion. There is always somwthing to tell in the Star Wars Universe!
May the 4th be with you!
The first three episodes focus on Morgan Elsbeths journey, starting with the purge on Dathoomir. The nightsisters get eliminated by General Grievous, Morgan Elsbeth is one of the few survivors. This event is known from the clone wars and it was great to revisit it.
Morgan Elsbeth, thrived by revenge, brings destruction to the mountain clan, that was so kind to give her shelter.
We next see her presenting the plans for the TIE-Defender systems to imperial officers. Admiral Yularen is interested and connects her with Admiral Thrawn. So this is how they met.
In the third part we see her after the fall of the empire, slaughtering an ambassador of the New Republic, who wanted to bring peace to her planet Corvis. This episode should play right before the events of The Mandalorian season 2, in which Ahsoka and The Mandalorian arrive on the planet.
All in all an very entertaining arc, that finally gives her some character. However the ultimate banger it was not.
Moving on to the second story arc featuring Barris Offee during Order 66. She is currently imprisoned as she was sentenced to after her betrayal on the Jedi Order in The Clone Wars.
However the empire offers her to become an inquisitor which she kindly accepts. The grand inquisitor tests her personally and she proves herself worthy by killing her old jedi-colleague contender. She now is an inquisitor and the dark lord himself arrives at the Fortress Inquisitorious to oversee his new tools.
After that we see her on her first mission which is to hunt down a jedi with her sister. Barriss uses her jedi-training to get the information from a child so nobody has to be hatmed. But her inquisitor sister has another plan and so she kills all of the villagers to make an example.
This is when Barriss realises her fault to join the empire and so she turns on her sister to protect the jedi.
The third episode shows Barriss after some years have gone by. She is now a healer and helps people in need. Just like a jedi. One day her sister finds her on the hunt for a force sensitive child. Barriss makes sure the child and his family escape and trap her sister in an ice cave. The sister is furious and in her anger she kills Barriss. This is when she realises that her path only causes sorrow and destruction.
In my opinion this story arc is the better one of the both. However it is still not flawless, especially the third episode ends a bit abrupt. I guess Barriss is dead, which makes sense, because we do not see her in any show or movie after these events. Still I am glad they finished her story which was open since The Clone Wars season five.
As a versict to this 6-part mini-series I would say that it does its job. Tales of the empire is a satisfying addition to the Star Wars universe. The animation looks great, the soundtrack by Kevin Kiner is superb as always and the stories help the viewer understand certain character developments that happened in other shows before.
Please give us more of this, maybe in for of a Tales of the Sith or Tales of the Rebellion. There is always somwthing to tell in the Star Wars Universe!
May the 4th be with you!